Receiving a thank you message on LinkedIn can be a great opportunity to build and strengthen your professional relationships. However, thoughtfully crafting an appropriate response takes some finesse. In this article, we’ll explore tips on how to best respond to a LinkedIn thank you, when you should respond, what to include in your reply, and examples of good responses.
Should you respond to a LinkedIn thank you?
In most cases, yes, you should respond to a LinkedIn thank you message. Here are some key reasons why:
- It’s good etiquette. Replying with a simple “You’re welcome” or “My pleasure” is the polite thing to do when someone expresses gratitude.
- It nurtures the relationship. Sending a response continues the dialogue and lets the sender know you appreciate their message.
- It makes a good impression. Promptly acknowledging a thank you reflects well on you and your communication skills.
- It encourages future interactions. Replying gives the other person confidence to connect with you again moving forward.
However, it’s okay not to reply if:
- The message comes from someone you don’t know or remember connecting with.
- The thank you is very generic with no specific context.
- You’ve already reciprocated thanks through other communication channels.
Use your best judgment, but in general, replying is recommended whenever reasonably possible.
When should you respond?
Try to respond within 24-48 hours, if possible. Replying quickly makes your response seem more sincere and engaged. Of course, it’s better late than never, so don’t worry if more time has passed.
If the message arrives at an inconvenient time, you can always connect later when you have more availability. The key is to avoid seeming like you’re ignoring or brushing off the sender’s thoughtful note.
What should you include in your reply?
Tailor your response based on your relationship with the sender, but here are some elements to consider including:
- An expression of thanks. Write “You’re welcome,” “My pleasure,” or something similar to politely acknowledge their gratitude.
- Value for their gesture. Say something like “I really appreciate you taking the time to send such a thoughtful note” to validate the effort they made.
- Positive sentiments. If appropriate, express kind wishes or praise for their work. This strengthens your rapport.
- Future encouragement. You could say something like “I hope we stay in touch moving forward” to signal openness to further connection.
- A question or comment. Adding a question related to their note or a comment about a shared interest makes the interaction more conversational.
- Your signature. Close with a friendly sign-off like “Best wishes” or “Thanks again” and your name.
Aim for a 3-5 sentence reply that thoughtfully references their original message. Be personable but concise.
Examples of good LinkedIn thank you responses
Here are some examples of solid responses to various kinds of LinkedIn thank you messages:
After a new connection:
Thank you, Janelle! I’m excited we’re now connected on LinkedIn. I really admire the work you’re doing at CloudNine Technologies. Looking forward to staying in touch and learning more about your approach to customer success. Have a great week ahead!
Regards,
Sam
After they shared an article you posted:
Hi Matt,
I appreciate you taking the time to share my recent LinkedIn article – thanks very much! Glad to hear the piece resonated with you. I have some other articles in the works that I think you’ll find interesting too. Have a great rest of your week, and let’s connect again soon!
Best,
Alex
After they endorsed you for a skill:
Good morning Susan,
Thank you for the LinkedIn skill endorsement – I’m so glad to hear you think highly of my social media marketing abilities. I really enjoy the work we did together on the recent influencer campaign for Acme Tools. Please feel free to reach out if you need any help on social campaigns moving forward! Wishing you continued success.
Regards,
Lee
After they congratulated you on some news:
Hi Tom,
I really appreciate you taking the time to congratulate me on my promotion to Senior Project Manager at Sylvan Systems! I’m excited to take on this new challenge and can’t wait to see what projects I get to spearhead this year. I still remember when we worked together all those years ago at Johnson Tech. Hope you’re continuing to enjoy your work – let’s catch up soon!
Gratefully,
Sarah
Key takeaways
Here are some final tips on how to best respond to LinkedIn thank you messages:
- Reply promptly within 24-48 hours whenever possible.
- Keep your response concise at 3-5 sentences.
- Express gratitude, highlight the value of their gesture, share positive sentiments, and encourage future exchanges.
- Make it conversational by asking a question or making a comment.
- Sign off with your name and a friendly farewell.
- Tailor your reply based on your relationship with the sender.
- Focus on quality over quantity – a thoughtful short response is better than a long generic one.
With the right approach, you can turn an incoming LinkedIn thank you into an opportunity to build goodwill and mutually beneficial connections. The most meaningful replies are personalized, timely, friendly, and forward-thinking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it necessary to respond to a LinkedIn thank you?
Replying is generally recommended, but not absolutely critical. Use your discretion based on your relationship and history with the sender. If it’s a close contact or meaningful gesture, respond thoughtfully. For distant connections or generic notes, reply only if you have time and something valuable to say. The risks of not responding at all are seeming impolite or disengaged.
How soon should I reply to a LinkedIn thank you?
Ideally within 24-48 hours, but sooner is better if possible. This reinforces you received their message promptly and cared enough to respond right away. If too much time passes, still go ahead and reply. A late response is better than no response.
Should I reply by phone/text instead?
You can, but replying through LinkedIn helps continue the conversation in the same channel. Unless you already communicate regularly offline, respond directly through the LinkedIn messaging thread. This keeps everything centralized for your records.
What if I don’t actually know the person who thanked me?
If you can’t recall how you’re connected, gracefully acknowledge their message while hinting at context clues. For example, “Appreciate the kind words, even though I can’t remember how we originally connected” or “Thanks so much for the note. Hope we get a chance to become better acquainted moving forward.”
What if I suspect the thank you is an automated message?
Use your best judgment on if a reply is warranted. If the message seems sincerely customized with specific details, go ahead and respond. For a generic note with no unique context, feel free to ignore. You can also politely ask how they came across your profile to gauge if it’s a bot or sincere outreach.
Scenario | Sample Thank You Message | Example Response |
---|---|---|
After networking at an event | John, it was a pleasure meeting you at last night’s entrepreneurs mixer. Thanks for the insightful conversation about scaling up a startup. Let’s keep in touch! | Hi Nisha, The pleasure was all mine! I really enjoyed our conversation and commend you on successfully getting Energee off the ground. Looking forward to seeing where you take the company next. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever want to bounce around scaling ideas. Wishing you continued success! |
After they shared your content | Trevor, just shared your post on hacking remote work burnout. Awesome tips! Love the practical guidance on setting boundaries. | Hi John, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed my remote work burnout article and found the tips helpful! Thank you very much for taking the time to share it – I appreciate you spreading the word. Let me know if you have any other topics you’d like to see me cover related to remote work productivity. Have a great rest of your week! |
After receiving a skill endorsement | Jessica, you deserve the project management skills endorsement 100%. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with you. | Good morning Matt, Thank you so much for the thoughtful project management endorsement on LinkedIn! I’ve really enjoyed working with you on the Carter Corp initiatives – it’s been a great learning experience for me to see your PM approach in action. Let’s connect again soon on how things are progressing. Wishing you all the best! |
Conclusion
Receiving a LinkedIn thank you message can be a touching moment and valuable opportunity to strengthen your network. With the right mindset and response strategy, you can turn these gestures into meaningful professional connections. The keys are promptly replying, keeping it concise yet thoughtful, referencing specifics, and building in future value. A well-crafted response reflects positively on you while nurturing mutually beneficial relationships.